


A Switch in Time

by IridescentPlume



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Gen, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-06-25 22:11:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15649923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IridescentPlume/pseuds/IridescentPlume
Summary: After a mishap in the woods, Merlin finds himself transported 25 years into the future. Meanwhile, his future-self took his place in the past. They must figure out a way to get back to their respective times before their many enemies in the past and the future manage to take advantage of the situation. AU after season 4.





	1. A Midsummer Daydream

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Considering that this is fanfiction, I think it is obvious that I do not own any rights to the original characters, settings, plot lines, quotes, or anything else from the show that may be referenced in this story. Writing this is basically just a way to unwind from work and school. 
> 
> This story is also posted on fanfiction.net

Date: The summer solstice in the second summer after the marriage of Arthur and Guinevere

“Lavender, Mint, Plantain, St. John’s Wort, and Comfrey,” Gaius listed to Merlin as he scanned the shelf. He spotted two more vials that were almost empty. “Oh, and we’re nearly out of Nettle and Shepherd’s Purse.” He turned back to his ward and frowned as he saw the young man stirring his porridge with a vague expression on his face. “Merlin are you listening to me?” When Merlin still did not respond, Gauis smacked him lightly on the back of his head.

“Ow!” Merlin said rubbing his head. “What was that for?”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic. I didn’t hit you that hard. And that was for ignoring me. I’m trying to tell you which herbs you need to collect this morning.”

“But today’s my day off! It’s the first day off I’ve had in months! Between helping you, plus the chores Arthur gives me, _plus_ all the extra work from preparing for the summer solstice festival _and_ making sure that nobody got murdered in the process, I’m exhausted. I need this day off!”

“Then the sooner you get these herbs collected, the sooner you can enjoy it.”

“But Gaius,”

“These vials won’t refill themselves,”

“You know, I might be able to do something about that,” Merlin mused as he looked towards his bedroom where his magic book was hidden beneath some floorboards. That thought earned him another smack in the head.

“Don’t you dare. You know how dangerous it can be to use your magic for frivolous things. Your magic has a purpose, and that purpose is _not_ to get out of doing your chores.”

Merlin sighed at the familiar lecture. “Yes, Gaius.”

Gaius frowned at him for a moment not quite believing him. Merlin sighed again, resisting an eye roll. “I promise not to use magic for ‘frivolous things.’” Gaius raised an eyebrow. Merlin’s lips twitched as he saw the expression. They both knew it was a promise that wouldn’t last. “For a whole hour at least.” Merlin added with a wry grin. Gaius gave him a stern look before shaking his head with a chuckle.

“My dear boy, what am I going to do with you?” He shook his finger at him. “One of these days you’re going to find yourself in trouble that you can’t get out of. And on that day, I reserve the right to say, ‘I told you so.’”

“Gaius, I’ll be gathering herbs by myself in the woods. There won’t be anyone around for miles. What could possible go wrong?”

“Famous last word, Merlin,” Gaius said drily. “Now finish your breakfast and get going.”

Merlin shoveled the last two bites into his mouth. He grabbed the bag and headed towards the door. He stopped suddenly and turned around sheepishly. “Ah, what do I need to get again?” Gaius just gave him a look. Merlin winced. “Sorry, I’ll listen this time, I swear.”

Gaius sighed. “Lavendar, Mint, Plantain, St. John’s Wort, Comfrey, Nettles and Shepherd’s Purse.”

“That much?!” Merlin exclaimed. “That’s half the forest!”

“You wouldn’t have to gather so much today if you had gathered everything I needed the other day, like I asked.”

Merlin opened his mouth to argue but sighed and bit back his argument when he saw Gaius’ raised eyebrow.

“Alright,” he said, “Lavender, Mint, Plantain, Comfrey,” he paused, “wait a minute. I can’t get Comfrey. When I looked the other day, I didn’t see any. I think the woods are all out.”

Gaius raised an eyebrow. “The woods are all out?” he asked, his voice dripping with skepticism.

Merlin nodded, “I didn’t see any nearby.”

“They I suggest you look a bit further away. I highly doubt that the woods are ‘out’ of Comfrey.”

Merlin sighed and slumped his shoulders in defeat. So much for his day off. He turned. He was just at the door when he heard Gaius call, “Oh, and Merlin?”

Merlin turned back warily. What could the old man possibly have to add?

“Take that basket by the door there.” Merlin picked it up and looked at his mentor curiously. Before he could ask why, Gaius continued, “I’ve packed you a few things for lunch. Take your time gathering those herbs. But do try to be back for dinner.”

Merlin peeked in the basket and saw some of his favorite foods packed neatly inside. He grinned up at his mentor who smiled in return “Thanks, Gaius,” he said. Maybe he would get to relax a bit today after all.

By midday, Merlin had collected most of the herbs. The stroll through the woods really did him some good. It was nice to be able to enjoy the day without having to worry about polishing anything or stopping magical miscreants. There was something both relaxing and invigorating about the forest. He could feel his stress from the past few months seeping out of his body and being replaced by the peace of the surrounding woods. Apparently Gaius really did have Merlin’s best interest in mind when he sent him on this errand. _Sneaky old man,_ Merlin thought with a fond chuckle.

His stomach rumbled reminding him of the lunch that he was carrying. _Where would be a good place to eat?_ He wondered. He heard the gentle, bubbling sound of a nearby stream. He headed in that direction. That way he could wash up a bit before eating his meal.

He broke through the trees and saw a small clearing. A shallow brook wove through the clearing, gurgling merrily as the water passed over rocks and pebbles in the stream bed. The floor clearing was covered with a soft, spongey moss with a few ferns near the tree line. In the very center of the clearing, a few feet from the stream was the largest Yew Merlin had ever seen. Merlin could practically feel the age of the tree from where he stood at the edge of the clearing. He felt himself drawn towards it. Before he realized what was happening, he stood before the ancient tree. He hesitantly reached out a hand to touch the bark. As his fingers brushed against the trunk, he felt a gentle thrumming. He hesitated but did not remove his hand. It did not feel threatening. After a moment, he slowly pressed his hand all the way against it so his entire palm was flat against the mighty trunk. He closed his eyes and felt the magic of the tree gingerly brush against his hand, almost in curiosity. Then, as if it was glad to see him, he felt more of the tree’s magic meet his hand and flow through him. He was soon surrounded by a warm embrace of the ancient Yew. Time seemed to stop and he closed his eyes. He did not notice when the basket fell from his hand. If his eyes had been open, he would have noticed small golden lights like fireflies rise up out of the moss and from the tree itself and fill the clearing. As he stood there, he felt as though all his worries and troubles were melting away. He had never felt more refreshed.

Unfortunately, like all good things, the feeling did not last. He frowned as he felt his peaceful moment being invaded. Something from the outside seemed to be trying to get in through the golden haze. Something dark and twisted pressed in against the light magic of the clearing. The magic of the clearing flared and tried to get the darkness to back off. The darkness retreated for just a moment before charging forward with even more force. Merlin’s eyes shot open in shock. He saw a golden haze surrounding him, and beyond that a red, menacing force. The red force reared back a second time. His golden shield faltered but held. However, Merlin could feel a crack in the defenses of his magical protector. The dark magic reared back one more time. Merlin closed his eyes and flung out his hand, his own magical instinct taking over and mingling with the magic of the clearing’s fauna. The darkness hit his defense just as he felt the golden magic from the tree shoot into him like an arrow. He gasped in shock and was slammed against the Yew. The world seemed to disappear in a blaze of light. Then everything went dark.


	2. A Wake up Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After waking in the woods, Merlin returns to Camelot. Only to find that things are not the way he left them.

Chapter 2: A Wake Up Call

Merlin slowly woke, his head pounding. He sat up and looked around in confusion. He was in the woods. Why was he in the woods? He frowned as he tried to grasp hold of any recent memories that would tell him what had happened. He mentally ran through his morning: he woke up, he had breakfast, Gaius asked him to restock some herbs, (that explained his current location in the forest at least, but not why he was waking up with a headache). He frowned, trying to remember what happened. Obviously something went wrong in the herb gathering process. He gingerly fingered the lump on the back of his head as he attempted to figure out why it was there. And then, quite suddenly, everything came rushing back. His eyes widened and he jumped to his feet, which turned out to be a big mistake as a sudden wave of dizziness nearly made him fall over again. He flung his arm out against a nearby tree to steady himself and wait for the world to stop spinning.

After a moment, he straightened. He remembered what had happened. He had been attacked by … something. He had never felt magic quite like that before. It was strong, malevolent, and was trying to get at him in the worst way. But it seemed like he was being protected by something else. Until that too seemed to turn on him. But why? Why would an ancient tree try to protect him and then turn on him? He froze as a realization hit him. _And why am I still leaning on that tree?_ He snatched his hand back and stumbled away from the Yew. The clearing which had at first looked so serene no longer looked all that appealing to him.

He glanced around the clearing. He didn’t see anything that looked particularly threatening, but then again, he hadn’t right before he was knocked unconscious, either. He shifted, feeling incredibly uneasy. Something did not feel right, and it was not that he was just attacked. There was something else: an overwhelming sense of wrongness that he could not quite pin down. He needed to get back to Camelot as quickly as possible. Maybe Gaius would be able to help him figure out what had happened and why.

His thoughts raced as he headed back to Camelot. He could not make sense of what had happened. Why had he been attacked? What had triggered it? Was it something he did or…? He frowned as an uncomfortable thought made its way into his mind. Did it have something to do with Arthur or Camelot? He grimaced. _Probably_ , he thought. Magic attacks were usually the result of someone trying to kill Arthur. Merlin himself was not generally the target unless someone was trying to get him out of the way. But that was usually only after he got in the way of someone’s schemes. He couldn’t recall doing anything recently that would draw unwanted attention to himself. In that case, why attack him in the middle of the woods? Was someone aware of his status as a warlock and Arthur’s protector? He hoped not. That would cause even more problems. He quickened his steps. It was even more imperative he get back to Camelot and talk to Gaius.

As he traveled through the woods, the sense of wrongness he felt after he awoke only seemed to grow. The very air felt different and it was putting him on edge. He was becoming more and more convinced that there was a magical threat to Camelot and her king. He emerged from the trees and saw the city standing before him. He carefully studied it. It didn’t look like anything was wrong, but that did not necessarily mean anything. He broke into a jog to get to the city quicker.

When he arrived, he could not see anything out of place. It looked like it always did. The marketplace was as bustling as ever with vendors calling out, advertising their wares. Women gossiped with one another as they strolled among the stalls. Children weaved around the adults, running and playing through the streets. The whole place had a cheerful air about it. If it wasn’t for the uneasy feeling that there was something incredibly _wrong_ , Merlin would think that it was a perfect day. Everyone else seemed to think so. Maybe Arthur was right and Merlin was getting paranoid.

Merlin was tense as he walked through the town towards the castle. He tried to relax but he couldn’t. He kept glancing around him, waiting for… _what_? He wondered. _I don’t even know what is making me so nervous. Well, apart from the fact that something just tried to kill me. But nothing new there._ As much as he tried to tell himself that he was overreacting and that it was quite obvious nothing was wrong, he could not bring himself to believe it.

A gaggle of giggling children caught his attention. They were watching a grinning street performer juggle five colorful balls. Merlin frowned. That in itself was not odd, especially considering that it was the summer solstice. But the performer felt a bit…off. Was this it? Was this performer part of whatever it was that had him on edge? He watched as the balls that were being juggled moved faster and faster until they were a blur. Suddenly the balls disappeared in an impressive display of blue and purple lights. The performer raised his hands above his head and what looked like several dozen butterflies emerged from his hands in a kaleidoscope of bright colors. The children gasped and squealed in glee as the jeweled insects circled around them, spiraling up to the sky and then disappearing. Merlin gaped. That was magic! In the open! He looked around. The kids were begging the sorcerer for more and the adults were clapping and looking quite impressed.

“What?!” Merlin exclaimed. His mouth hung open and his eyes were so wide that they looked like they were about to pop right out of their sockets.

“New to Camelot, dear?” he heard an amused voice next to him ask. A middle aged woman beside him smiled warmly, understanding in her eyes. “It can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you are from somewhere that doesn’t openly practice magic. It takes a bit of getting used to, believe me.”

“What?” He asked again. “But,” he stopped, at a loss for words. “This is Camelot, right?”

The women laughed. “Of course it is. Where else would it be?”

“I have no idea,” Merlin murmured. He tried to make sense of it but he could not get his brain to work. He _really_ needed to talk to Gaius. “Sorry, I have to go.” He turned and ran to the castle. The woman shrugged and turned back to the show.

Merlin’s thoughts whirled in his head. People were openly practicing magic, using it for entertainment even! And everyone was okay with that? He ought to be pleased about this turn of events, but the sudden change was unnatural.

Now that he was paying attention and knew what to “look” for, he could feel the magic in the air. There seemed to be enchantments on the buildings and in the very ground itself. Somebody had obviously cast a spell over the entire town. That must have been the cause of the odd feeling he had. While he did not object to this new reaction to magic, he didn’t want people to lose their free will over it. He could only think of one person with the power to do such a thing. Morgana must be behind this. He pushed himself faster. He needed to find Arthur _now_! There was no telling what the witch might be doing to him.

He raced to towards the citadel. He tried to think of where Arthur might be. He glanced towards the training yard as he passed it. It was empty. He wasn’t surprised. With a spell over the town, he doubted Arthur would be training.

Merlin decided to check the king’s chambers first. He flung open the doors. “Arthur!” he called. He scanned the room, feeling a slight irritation at the state of it. Honestly, he was gone for less than a day. How on earth did Arthur manage to get his room this messy in that time. He shook off his irritation. He could complain later, once he saved the prat from the villain du jour. But first he had to find him. _Throne room_ , he thought. Honestly, he should have checked there first. If Morgana was responsible for this, that’s where she would be gloating.

He rushed to the throne room and burst through the doors. The round table was set up. Everyone at the table turned and looked towards him to see what the commotion was. He blinked at them. He didn’t recognize a single person sitting there. He opened his mouth to demand who they were and what they had done with the king when he was cut off by an amused voice.

“ _Mer_ lin?” A man asked, “What in the name of Camelot did you _do_ to yourself?”

“What?” he asked, looking towards the direction of the voice. For a split second, he thought that Uther had somehow come back from the dead, grew a beard, and was sitting in Arthur’s seat at the round table. He blinked and realized that, no, it was not Uther. For one thing Uther never looked that amused.

The man looked to be in his mid-fifties. He had a well-trimmed, blond beard that was streaked with white, matching the hair on his head. He had one eyebrow raised as he appraised Merlin. He seemed to be trying to hold back a grin. Merlin looked him in the eye. He recognized those eyes and he recognized that expression. And come to think about it, he recognized the voice and the way it had drawled his name. Merlin gaped at him.

“Arthur?” he asked in disbelief.


	3. The past comes back to haunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin realizes he is stuck in the future. The future realizes they are stuck with Merlin.

A few moments earlier:

Arthur tried to stifle a yawn as two lords who were older than dirt argued over the tax prices of turnips. Turnips! How had the round table come to this? It wasn’t even an important vegetable. He mentally sighed. He supposed he should be grateful. If they were discussing turnips, then that meant that there was nothing more urgent. In fact, there hadn’t been any major threats to the kingdom in years. While peace was definitely a good thing, it made for incredibly boring council meetings.

Arthur glanced to the empty seat on his left. How had he let Merlin talk him out of attending today’s meeting? If Arthur had to sit through an argument over turnips, Merlin should, too. At the very least, Arthur was missing Merlin’s usual muttered commentary about the meeting. The man was the only person Arthur knew who could make a discussion about turnips vaguely entertaining. He held back another sigh and felt his wife’s fingers intertwine with his own. He glanced to his right and she gave him an understanding smile.

Arthur glanced around the table. The only two people that seemed to be paying any attention to the current topic of conversation were the two people currently arguing. He opened his mouth to end the turnip debate ( _turnips, honestly_ , he mentally scoffed), when the door to the council room was flung open.  

Everyone turned towards the open doors in surprise, (and not a small amount of gratitude for the interruption). Standing in the doorway was Merlin. Only he looked much younger. Arthur knew that Merlin had used magic to age himself in the past, the idiot must have found a way to make himself younger. And to top it off, he managed to find the clothes that he used to wear. He looked exactly like he did in their early years, after they first met. Arthur snorted and tried to hold back a grin. He knew he could count on Merlin to get him out of this ridiculous turnip debate. But why Merlin would suddenly decide to take a stroll down memory lane, he had no idea.

“ _Mer_ lin,” he said, “What in the name of Camelot did you _do_ to yourself?”

Merlin stared in shock at the now middle aged King Arthur. He glanced at the woman next to the king. Gwen, he realized. Now that he knew what he was looking for, he recognized a lot of the older knights at the table as his friends. Although there were a few additions of varying ages that he did not know. He suddenly realized with a start that the older Arthur was saying something. He snapped his attention back to the king. “What?” he managed to get out.

“Having a bit of a midlife crises, are we?” The older man asked with a grin. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. “And where did you find those ridiculous clothes? I thought I had them all burned years ago.”

“What? No, I,” he stopped as his brain caught up to what Arthur had said. “Wait a minute, I like these clothes. What’s wrong with these clothes?”

“I can’t even begin to describe, Merlin” Arthur drawled.

Merlin frowned but then decided to ignore the comment. There were slightly more important matters to attend to. Like the fact that it seemed as though someone had cast an aging spell on the king and queen and half the knights and nobody but Merlin seemed to notice.

“Look, Arthur,” Merlin said, “I think that there is something very wrong.”

This got Arthurs attention. He focused on the manservant and straightened up slightly.

“For one thing you look old,” Merlin said.

Arthur narrowed his eyes and Merlin rushed on, “It’s not a bad look,” he said quickly. There was a snort from one of the knights. He glanced towards them before looking back towards the king. He needed to explain quickly before Arthur decided to use Merlin as target practice.

“Look. I’m not sure exactly what is going on but I think that Camelot is in danger.” He hesitated to censor his story in his mind before continuing with an abridged version of what had happened to him thus far. “I was in the woods gathering herbs for Gaius when something happened and I hit my head and,”

“Wait,” Arthur said holding up a hand.  He had a strange expression on his face. “You were doing what in the woods?”

“Gathering herbs. But that’s not the important part. I,”

Arthur interrupted again, “For Gaius?” He asked.

“Yes,” Merlin said, getting a bit frustrated with the insignificant interruptions.

The king hesitated a moment and exchanged a concerned look with the queen next to him. “Merlin,” he said slowly, “Gaius is gone.”

Merlin froze for a second. “What…what do you mean, ‘gone?’” He felt dread in the pit of his stomach. He wasn’t sure he wanted an answer

“Gaius is dead. He has been for years.”

Merlin just stared at Arthur. Arthur kept talking but Merlin didn’t hear him. _Gaius is dead_ , was repeated over and over in his mind. “impossible,” he whispered.

“Merlin,” Arthur started.

“No. You’re wrong. Gaius is fine. I just saw him this morning.”

Arthur and Gwen glanced at each other, concerned for their friend. Arthur stood up and made his way over to Merlin; Gwen followed her husband.

“Merlin,” Gwen said.

“No. He’s fine. It’s this spell. It’s making you think that he’s dead, but he’s not. He can’t be.”

“Merlin,” Arthur tried again. But he was once again interrupted by the distraught warlock.

“No. Don’t you see. Someone cast some sort of spell or something. Over the whole town. Everything is different. Every _one_ is different. But we’ll fix it. We’ll find a way to make everything go back to normal.” He gave Arthur a pleading look. The room was silent for a minute.

“Alright,” Arthur said carefully, “you’re right. I think someone did cast a spell. But I don’t think Camelot was the target. Think about it Merlin. Which is more likely, that a spell has been cast over an entire city, or that a spell has been cast on just you?”

Merlin opened his mouth to speak, but then thought for a moment and then closed it again. He frowned, thinking. “Are you saying that I’m imagining all this? Maybe I’m still unconscious in the woods and this is some sort of dream?”

“Dream about me often do you? I have to say I’m a bit disturbed by that thought,” Arthur said drily. Gwen elbowed him in the ribs.

“Not helping,” she muttered.

Arthur cleared his throat. “I suppose while it’s possible that this is all some elaborate dream that your addled brain made up, I don’t believe that to be true.”

“And how would you know if this was a dream or not?” Merlin asked.

Arthur studied him for a minute and then smacked him upside the head. Gwen gave her husband an exasperated look.

“Ow!” Merlin exclaimed. “What was that for?”

“Did that feel real?”

Merlin rubbed his head and glared at the king, not answering. “I thought so,” Arthur said with a smirk. “Now that we know it’s not a dream, perhaps we should consider an alternative scenario. Here is what I think happened. You decided to try one of your ‘experiments’ and, like an idiot, thought it was a good idea to try to make yourself look younger. The spell backfired, and while you did make yourself look younger, you also managed to erase half of your memories.” He raised an eyebrow. “Sound plausible?” he asked.

Merlin frowned in thought. It actually sort of did. Heaven knows he bungled more than one spell. There was only one problem with that. Arthur wasn’t supposed to know about his magic. He paled. “S-spell?” he asked. “I don’t, I mean, I can’t…”

“Oh here we go,” Arthur said, throwing up his hands, “we’ve reverted back to your constant lies.”

Merlin winced slightly.

“It’s okay, Merlin,” Gwen said. “We know. We’ve known for years now. In fact, magic isn’t even illegal anymore.”

Merlin stared at her. “it… what?” he asked. “You… are you sure?”

Gwen smiled at him. “yes,” she said. “Magic is free now. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

Merlin stared at her, nearly forgetting to breathe. “Are you sure this isn’t a dream?” he whispered. His mind was having trouble processing this information.

“Yes,” Arthur said firmly. The king looked at his oldest friend and felt a surge of guilt as he was reminded just how difficult it had been for Merlin back in the early days of their friendship. But he had made a promise long ago that he would never again do anything to cause Merlin fear or pain. And it was a promise he intended to keep. “We should go back to your workshop and find out what exactly you were up to in there. I’m sure we can figure out a way to reverse whatever it is you did.” He glanced towards the round table, trying to catch the eye of a druid woman, Olwen, he had appointed to the council. They would probably need her help to fix this. But she was staring at Merlin with narrowed eyes, as though he was some sort of puzzle she was trying to figure out. 

Merlin didn’t seem to notice. “I have a workshop?” Merlin wondered. Then he thought of something. “But wait, I woke up in the woods after being attacked by some strange force. Whatever happened, I don’t think I did it to myself. I was actually going to ask Gaius…” Merlin trailed off as a wave of grief hit him. He cleared his throat and pushed through it. “I’m not sure that your theory is correct, Arthur.”

“Wait a moment,” Sir Leon said. He looked at Merlin and then back towards the king. “How can we be sure that this is really Merlin. How do we know this is not some imposter pretending to be Merlin in order to get close to the king?” He looked around at the other members of the table.

Merlin tensed. If they suddenly decided that he was not who he said he was, he might be forced to make a hasty exit. And it would make his job about ten times harder than it already was.

“If that was the case,” Gwaine said, “then the imposter would want to look like Merlin as he is now, not twenty years ago.”

“Maybe there was a problem with the spell, or he is using this as an excuse to be lacking certain memories,” Leon answered. Gwaine frowned but before he could say anything else, the other knight held up his hand and glanced towards Merlin apologetically. “I mean no offense,” he said. “I just want to be certain.”

“That is probably wise, Sir Leon,” Arthur said. “Sorcerers have disguised themselves to infiltrate the citadel in the past.” He turned to Merlin, “Alright then, prove that you are Merlin.”

Merlin stared at him, a bit at a loss. “How am I supposed to do that?”

“If you really are Merlin, I’m certain you can figure out something. Tell us something that only Merlin would know.”

Merlin frowned and then said the first thing that popped into his head. “You’re a clotpole.”

Gwaine barked out a laugh and a few of the older knights grinned, although some of the younger and newer members of the round table exchanged slightly bewildered glances. Arthur rolled his eyes. “Really? That’s what you came up with for proof?”

Merlin hummed. “You’re right. Bad example. Everyone knows that you’re a clotpole.” At Arthur’s unamused scowl Merlin crossed his arms. “Well, if you wanted something more specific, you should have said so.”

“You did kind of walk right into that one, princess,” Gwaine said.

“Oh, not you, too.” Arthur said.

“You know,” Elyan said, “I almost forgot about that insult of Merlin’s.”

“But other’s may not have. It would not be too hard to copy it if he really was an imposter,” Percival said.

“No,” Athur said. “It really is Merlin. I don’t know how I can tell, but I know it’s him.”

“There is another way to know for certain,” a woman said. She was the only woman at the round table besides Gwen. She was an older woman with graying hair. Merlin did not recognize her.

The women met Merlin’s eyes. < _Emrys_ ,> she said directly into his head.

He blinked in surprise. < _You’re a druid_ ,> he replied back to her in the same manner.

< _Yes_ ,> she said. < _My name is Olwen_. >

< _But, what are you doing here?_ > he asked. < _I didn’t think Arthur trusted the druids enough to appoint one a position on his council_. >

She smiled, < _Much has changed. You will see in time_. >

Merlin frowned at that comment, < _are you responsible for what is going on?_ > he asked her. Although as he said it, he knew she was not. It did not seem like druid magic to him.

< _No_ ,> she said.

Before he could respond, the king cleared his throat, “I thought I made it clear that it is rude to do that ‘talking without speaking’ thing around other people.”

“Ah, but your majesty,” Olwen said with a smirk, “how else are we supposed to talk about you behind your back?”

“You can do it when I leave the room, like a normal person,” he responded drily.

“Mm,” She said, giving a noncommittal hum. “Well the good news is, that I was able to confirm his identity once and for all. This truly is Emrys.”

“Good, but I already knew that,” Arthur said. Merlin quickly glanced at Arthur, now he knew about the name ‘Emrys’, too?

“Furthermore, I think I have an explanation for his current appearance and lack of memories,” Olwen continued.

“Oh?” Arthur said. “Then please elaborate.”

“He has no memories of recent events because one cannot remember what has not yet happened.”

“Must you always speak in riddles?” Arthur said with a sigh.

“No, but it’s fun,” the druid said, smiling.

Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose. Sometimes he very much regretted making magic legal. Dealing with magic users tended to give him a headache. He was much happier when the only headache he got was from Merlin.

“Not happened?” Gwen said. “What do you mean by that?”

 “I believe this Merlin is somehow from the past,” Olwen explained.

There were sounds of surprise and disbelief around the table. Arthur frowned. “Is such a thing truly possible? Magic can be used to travel through time itself?”

“Not usually. There are tales of ancient magic users accomplishing such things. However, those arts were lost long ago. I do not think a typical sorcerer is capable of such a feat any longer.” Her lips twitched, “Although, Merlin is not exactly a typical sorcerer.” Merlin frowned, his brow creased in thought.

“No,” Arthur said, with a smirk in the warlock’s direction. “Merlin isn’t exactly a typical anything.” 

Merlin ignored the jibe and addressed Olwen. “You think I’m from the past?” he asked. “So in other words, I’m in the future?”

“Yes,” she said.

“And magic is legal?” Merlin asked.

She smiled, “yes.”

He blinked at her and then a wide grin split his face. It had finally sunk in. Magic was legal and that meant that he would succeed in his destiny. He felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He laughed, “That’s brilliant!” he said.

“Yes, it is, isn’t it?” the druid said. “But perhaps you can celebrate later. After all it hasn’t happened for you yet.”

“But it will,” he said. “Knowing that is enough for me.”

“Perhaps. But it will not happen if you do not get back to your own time,” she reminded him.

“Right,” Merlin said, dropping his smile and trying to focus on the problem at hand.

“Now, tell me what happened. If we can figure out how you got here, we should be able to find a way to get you back where you belong.”

He nodded and explained everything. He left nothing out which felt amazing.

Once he finished, everyone was silent for a moment. “You said it was a Yew tree?” the druid asked.

“Yes,” he said. “I’m sure of it.”

Yes,” she said, “based on what you said, I’m sure of it, too. Yews are known for containing very powerful magic. They have often been associated with some of the strongest protection spells. Perhaps sending you here was the tree’s way of protecting you. Mixed with your own potent magic, it would not be that difficult to achieve.” She hesitated and then continued. “One concern I have is that we do not know what the Yew was protecting you from.” She looked around the table. “We must be vigilant. Merlin’s safety must be a priority.” She turned back to the young warlock. “Until we know more about the origin of the attack, you need to be exceedingly careful. None of us can risk anything happening to you. I will do some research and try to see if I can find records of magic like you described.”

She paused for a moment and then looked him straight in the eye. “One more thing, it is dangerous for people to know their own futures. One mistake and you could change the course of history.” She turned her gaze to the king, the queen, and the knights, looking each person in the eye. “Trying to fix one moment of pain or suffering could have repercussions that bring destruction on the whole kingdom. It is imperative that Merlin does not find out too much about his future while he is here. The less he knows the better.” She turned back to him and contemplated him for a minute. “We should figure out exactly when you are from so we know what we can and cannot talk about around you.”

Merlin sighed. Now everyone was going to be walking on eggshells around him.

“Well Merlin,” Arthur said, “Tell us some recent events that happened so we can get an idea of when you are from.”

Merlin thought. “Well, I was gathering herbs for Gaius today,” he started.

Arthur interrupted with an eye roll. “Oh, thank you, _Mer_ lin,” he said. “That’s _very_ helpful. Because you’ve only ever done that the one time. I know _exactly_ what day that was.”

Merlin shot him an unamused glare. “I wasn’t finished.”

“We need a _big_ event Merlin. Something memorable. Not something that happens on a regular basis. Think of things like weddings, or births, or recent battles or attacks,” Arthur said, ignoring Merlin’s protest.  

Merlin frowned. “Recent attacks?” he asked. “I thought you said something that _didn’t_ happen every day.”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “very funny,” he said.

“Actually, it’s been fairly quiet. The only recent attacks were pretty small and I don’t even think you were aware of them,” Merlin said thoughtfully. Arthur frowned but Merlin didn’t seem to notice and continued talking. “I suppose the most recent event was your wedding. But that was last spring.”

“Our wedding?” Arthur asked. He nodded. “Alright, we can work with that.”

“If our wedding was last year,” Gwen said, “then that means that you are from 25 years in the past.” She smiled at the memories. “So much has happened in that time.”

“Maybe so,” Merlin said. He crossed his arms and scowled a bit, “but apparently you’re not allowed to talk about it with me or the city will explode.”

Gwen smiled and a few of the knights chuckled.

“We should also probably be sure to warn your future self that you’re here, too,” Gwaine said. “Although, it might be fun to literally talk to yourself.”

“No.” the druid woman said. “He must not go anywhere near the current Merlin. Who knows what kind of damage that would do?”

“Yes,” Arthur agreed, “dealing with one of you at a time is bad enough.”

“Where is the current you, anyway?” Gwaine asked. He looked around the room as though the older Merlin was going to jump out from behind a tapestry.

“He went out with Kessa for,” Gwen stopped suddenly and looked at the younger Merlin, who was looking at her with curiosity “I mean…” she hesitated, not quite sure how to finish the sentence. She sighed, “this is going to be harder than I thought.”

“Where did they go?” Arthur asked.

“Who’s Kessa?” Merlin asked.

“The forest,” Gwen answered her husband, ignoring Merlin’s question. Merlin groaned internally. He was already fed up with the cut off sentences, unanswered questions, and hidden meanings behind everything. This was going to get very old, very quickly.

Arthur nodded and walked over to the round table, standing in front of his chair. He addressed the table, “I hope you all realize what an incredibly sensitive situation we have here. Until further notice, no one outside of this room is to know what has transpired here today. We must keep this a secret until we are able to correct the situation. Discussing these events with anyone outside of this room is to be considered treason.” He glanced around the table, looking each person in the eye to ensure that they understood the severity of the situation. Once satisfied, he continued. “Galahad, Bors, Geraint, Lamorak, I would like you four to ride out and try to find Merlin.” He paused, “the current Merlin,” he said. He hoped this did not get too confusing. “tell him what happened and bring him back here. Meet with Guinevere before you leave. She may have more details on where precisely you might find him.”

The younger Merlin looked between Arthur, Gwen, and the knights, burning with curiosity. He couldn’t help but wonder about his future self.

“Merlin,” Arthur said, “I would like you to come with me. We need to think of some sort of cover story for you. Maybe a disguise of some sort.” He turned back to the rest of the group. “I will alert you as to his cover story once we have it figured out.” Arthur hesitated and then gave a resigned sigh, “Gwaine, you’ve always been good at coming up with this sort of thing. I think that you should come help us, too.” Gwaine grinned and winked at Merlin. Merlin groaned. He had a feeling he was not going to like whatever the knight came up with. 


	4. Two Birds with One Spell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 50 year old Merlin is on a picnic with his young daughter, when something goes very, very wrong.

Chapter 4: Two birds with One Spell

_Meanwhile with the future Merlin:_

Merlin just finished setting out the picnic lunch when he heard a loud splash coming from the nearby stream. He looked up in alarm but was immediately relieved to see his six-year-old daughter unharmed, sitting in the water with a slightly bewildered look on her face. He sighed in fond exasperation and stood up. He walked over to the sopping wet child. He stood by the bank and looked down on her, trying to make his face look stern.

“Kessa,” he said firmly, “I thought I told you that you were not allowed to play in the water until after we ate lunch.”

She looked up at her father with wide eyes. “But I’m not playing in the water,” she said, still sitting in the stream.

Merlin raised an eyebrow. “You’re not playing in the water?” he asked.

“No,” she said shaking her head.

“Mm-hm,” he said. He crossed his arms and looked at her. “Are you sure? Because from here, it looks an awful lot like you’re in the water.”

“Yes,” she said, “but I’m not playing. I’m just sitting.”

“Kessa,” he said in warning.

“It wasn’t my fault, Papa. I fell.”

“You fell?”

“Yes,” she said. “I couldn’t help it. I was just standing by the bank and I fell. It’s very slippery.”

“I see,” he said. “And how did you end up in the middle of the stream? That’s a very long way to fall.”

The young girl looked around, as though noticing her surroundings for the first time. “Oh!” Merlin watched her as she tried to think of a good excuse. Finally she sighed and her shoulders slumped. “There was a frog. I wanted to catch him.” she looked at him, her lower lip trembled and she gave him a big, doe-eyed look. “Are you angry?”

He sighed. The girl had him wrapped around her little finger and she knew it. He took a step in the stream and held out a hand to her. She stood up, grasped his hand, and carefully made her way over the slippery stones. “When I tell you to do something, or not to do something, there’s usually a reason,” he said once she was out of the stream. He knelt down so he was eye level with her. “It’s very important that you listen to me. The water can sometimes be deeper or faster than it looks. You could have been hurt. Do you understand?”

She nodded. “Yes, Papa.”

“And that wouldn’t be a very good way to spend your birthday, now would it?” The birthday girl shook her head.

Merlin smiled. “Good. Ready for lunch now?”

“Yes,” she said with a grin and then gave him a big hug.

“Ack!” he exclaimed in mock horror. “You’re all wet! It’s a good thing I know an easy way to fix that.” His eyes flashed and their clothes dried instantly.

She giggled. “That tickles,” she said.

He grinned at her. “It does?” he asked. “How about this?” He scooped her into his arms and started tickling her belly. She gave a delighted shriek and tried to pull away. “Stop!” she said laughing, “Papa, stop!”

Suddenly Merlin froze. His head shot up and he looked around the forest warily. He felt a strange shift in the air. The surrounding magic started churning slowly at first, but increasing in intensity, like the waves at the start of a storm at sea. He clutched his daughter tighter to him. He did not know what was causing this, but it could not be good. His first priority right now was to protect her from whatever this was.

“Papa?” the girl asked, sensing her father’s tenseness but not sure exactly what caused him to stop playing.

“Shh,” he said. He glanced around the clearing. Suddenly he was hit with a stabbing pain. He gasped; he felt as though his insides were being ripped out of him. He fell to the ground, gripping his daughter tightly to him. He struggled to stay conscious as every instinct screamed to protect his daughter. It was a losing battle and he was vaguely aware of Kessa crying before everything went black.

=+=+

Pain was the first thing Merlin was aware of as the haze of unconsciousness slowly lifted. His head was throbbing. Muscles he did not even know existed were aching, his skin burned, and he felt a heaviness on his chest that was making it difficult to breathe. He felt like he’d gone three rounds with a flock of angry griffons and lost. Badly.

He lay still for a moment, trying to get his bearings and figure out what happened. After a second, events came rushing back to him and he gasped, his eyes flew open to search for his daughter. It didn’t take him long to find her. His eyes opened to see her tear streaked face inches from his own. “Gah!” he said in surprise.

“Papa!” she cried, flinging her arms around his neck, “You’re okay!”

He gave an involuntary grunt as her weight shifted and her knees dug in his chest. At least he knew why his chest felt heavy: the girl was kneeling on him.  

“Yeah,” he said after he caught his breath. “I’m okay.” He shifted her slightly so that she was beside him instead of on top of him. He sat up and scrutinized her, checking for any injuries. Other than red puffy eyes from crying, she looked unhurt. “Are you all right?” he asked. “Do you feel pain anywhere?”

The girl shook her head. Her eyes filled with tears and he pulled her close as she started to sob. He just held her and made soothing noises as she cried. Inwardly he cursed himself. He was lucky. He didn’t know what had happened but they were relatively unhurt so far. If he had lost his daughter, he didn’t know what he would have done. He could not believe he had grown so complacent. They had been at peace for so many years that he had let his guard down. Well, he wouldn’t make that mistake twice. Now he had to find out who or what had attacked them and why.

After a few minutes, Kessa gradually calmed down and her sobs slowed to a few shuddering breathes. Merlin leaned back from her and wiped her tears with his thumb. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

She nodded, “yes, Papa.”’

“Good.” He looked her in the eye. “I know this is really scary and I am not sure what exactly is going on. We need to figure it out but in order to do that, we have to be really brave. Can you do that? Can you be brave for me?”

She sniffed. “Like the knights are brave?” she asked.

Merlin smiled. “Exactly like the knights,” he said.

She thought for a minute and then got a determined look on her face. “I’ll try,” she said.

“Good,” Merlin said with a nod.

Kessa’s face grew a bit troubled. “But I can’t promise I won’t be scared.” She admitted.

Merlin grinned. “That’s okay. I think even the knights get scared sometimes.”

Kessa’s eyes grew wide. “Really?” she asked in astonishment.

Merlin nodded and then stood up, his aching muscles protesting at the movement. He suppressed a groan. _I’m getting too old for this_ , he thought. _But at least I’m not as old as Arthur._

Once he was on his feet, he glanced around the clearing. The picnic he had set up was gone, as was their horse. Which meant they would have to walk back. Which meant that he would no doubt be carrying Kessa the majority of the way back. He suddenly sympathized with Kilgharrah when the dragon complained about being used as a horse. He pushed that random and unhelpful thought aside as he continued to assess the situation. He frowned. It didn’t make sense. Where did the horse and picnic go? The horse could have managed to pull away from where he tied it if the knot was not secure. But picnics did not just run away. Someone could have stolen the horse and the picnic, but then why leave the two of them undisturbed? And why would anyone want to steal a picnic? It seemed very unlikely. 

“Kessa,” Merlin said frowning at his surroundings, “did you see anyone before I woke up?”

“No,” she said. “Why?”

“Because our picnic is gone,” he replied.

Her eyes widened. “What?” she asked. “But that had my birthday cake!”

Merlin’s lips twitched. “I’m sure if we ask nice, the cook will make you a new one.”

The girl pouted. This was not turning out to be a very good birthday at all.

Merlin closed his eyes and cast out his magic to get a feel for the spell that had hit him. He gasped as he felt the magic in the air. It was chaotic! Magic was always wild, like nature, but this felt…injured. Out of balance. No wonder he ached, magic itself ached. And he could feel the disharmony of magic impacting the wilderness around him, causing nature to be in pain and unbalanced. There was something very, very wrong. Magic had not been this out of control in many years. The great purge had damaged more than families and lives; it had ripped magic apart and knocked it out of balance. Once Arthur had accepted his destiny, the two of them worked to right the wrongs that had been done to the land and unite Albion and magic once again. Magic had been healed for many years now. So how did it come to this state? He was only unconscious for minutes. It would take years for magic to become so unwound as it felt now.

Well whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. And he would have to warn Arthur about both the attack that happened to him and the state of magic. He could not help but feel that things were only going to get worse. There was a bigger plot here that he could not quite see yet. But he had a feeling he was once again going to have to take up the role as magical protector to Camelot and The Once and Future King. He sighed. Well, the peace was nice while it lasted.

 


End file.
